Professor Doctor Robert Liftman: "Does War Bring Us Closer to Socialism?"
(No. 56 "The German War," published by E. Jecke. Stuttgart–Berlin, 1915).

The author rises up against the view (of Yaffe and others) that war brings us closer to socialism. Taxes, monopolies, bread rationing — all this, he says, has nothing in common with socialism (communism, he claims = regulation of consumption; socialism = abolition of private property).

The most banal arguments against socialism in general. Of course, he is for "reforms," for "the softening of class contradictions," etc.

In general, socialism is, he says, "dreams" (39), "fantasies" (37), "ruinous internationalism" (of social-democracy) (37)...

He upbraids German social-democrats for their attitude toward the war, whereas, he says, "nothing was heard" (37) (sic!) "of reproaches against" French and English socialists.

He praises the s.-d.

"The behavior of German social-democracy... deserves respect" (37)...

**Workers of other countries do not think of socialism**

..."Elimination of the contemporary economic system on an international scale is impossible; on a national scale it will do harm" (39)... "The workers of other countries, who are more mindful of reality, are not thinking of putting this into practice" (ibid.) (particularly, he says, the workers of England, p. 38)...

..."Let France conduct the 'experiment' with socialism" (39–40)...

**Social-democrats or 'reformists'? He stands for revisionism!!**

"It is very difficult to say to what extent those belonging to the German social-democratic party are still truly (!!) faithful to the ideal of socialism and whether this party is not simply a party of social reforms on a democratic basis"... (40)... My statements, he says, "recommend only what revisionist currents recommend within socialism itself" (40)...

719
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 1912–1916

"It would be very desirable for political cooperation after the war if one could obtain from the social-democratic party a clearly expressed renunciation of this ideal or at least a declaration that it is for now renouncing the defense of measures for its realization; in other words, if the revisionist movement within German social-democracy, which has this as its aim, were to receive universal recognition, then thereby regarding the position of social-democracy after the war there would remain no ambiguities whatsoever" (41)...